MANKAYAN, Benguet — Kankanaey indigenous farmers in Barangays Bulalacao and Guinaoang have maintained barricades along local access roads to prevent heavy mining equipment from entering their ancestral territory.

Community leaders said the barricades are intended to protect their water sources, agricultural land and livelihoods from the exploratory activities of Crescent Mining and Development Corporation.

The dispute stems from the renewal of a 25-year Mineral Production Sharing Agreement originally granted in 1996. Although the agreement expired in 2021, government agencies authorized an extension covering more than 500 hectares in the two barangays.

Residents have questioned the extension, alleging irregularities in the regulatory process and violations of their rights under the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA).

Community members have filed administrative and criminal complaints with the Office of the Ombudsman against officials of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples and the Mines and Geosciences Bureau. The complaints allege that permit renewals were issued before the required Free, Prior and Informed Consent process was completed.

Local leaders also contend that critical technical information, including water extraction volumes, waste disposal methods and potential environmental risks, was not adequately disclosed during consultations.

They further questioned the voting process, saying Bulalacao and Guinaoang residents initially rejected the project but their opposition was diluted after votes from other barangays were included under a broader municipal framework.